Deviants
by QuaintWriter
Summary: Nadia Jones was SUPPOSED to be a normal trainer. Just another one of them, traveling the HOT region of Hoenn. But, even nine years after the "Magma/Aqua Incident", tensions are still there. Fighting over who was right, and a new team coming out on top of them, more menacing than before. Not to mention that Nadia finds her destiny is bigger than she imagined.
1. A Party To Begin With

My father's last words to me were, "Everything is going to be alright." He was a rather despondent man from the beginning, in all honesty, but the way I came home that day, merely an eight year old, and found him in a pile of blood and brains on the ground with a revolver clenched tightly into his pale-white hand, I never thought it would happen. That he would kill himself, blinded by his own clinical depression.

The memory is as clear as any other memory of him, and it still brings a pain to my heart just by thinking of him. I venerated him as a hero, and now he was gone. He had shot me in the head that day, too, without thinking of the consequences.

But all I can say now is that was in the past. Because now, here I was, in a short dress showing what cleavage I don't have, 'having the time of my life'. Ah, no.

"You're quite a catch," the man next to me said. I rolled my eyes, covering my chest with crossed arms.

"Oh, yeah? You're clearly good at catching STDs." I retorted.

The man- though he was only a year older than me, he looked like he was in his twenties- raised a light eyebrow. He had the blonde hair and eyebrows that fell across his tan face, green eyes peering out into the oblivion that is the world. His face was lean and tenuous, as was the rest of his body, and it seemed like if I pushed him down he would shatter.

"A sarcastic one, eh?" The man laughed, resting an arm around my shoulders. I tensed. He made it seem like we were an intimate couple, in this lowly club in Petalburg, rented out for the graduating class, but it was nothing like that. I smelled a hint of alcohol in his breath, and nearly gagged. "This is, like, finding a Seaking in a pond of Magikarp."

Holding back my tongue, I glared at him in the eye. "Get your arm off me, and leave me alone, or I swear on my father's grave you'll never see it again." The sudden harsh tone made him back away, muttering something about me being a "bitch".

I slink away before another guy catches me, my eyes wandering the crowd. I stood out, though, no matter how hard I tried to blend in. my class was practically all-white, and I was a "mulatto", according to the preppy kids.

Ah, yes, the Academy I _had_ to graduate from was the rich one. I only got in on a scholarship, and was the youngest in my class. Fifteen, when normally they graduate at sixteen. A new rule for Hoenn, ever since Team Magma and Team Aqua's shenanigans. The League deemed it unsafe for ten-year-olds to go out on a journey, and five more years of mandatory school was required for a trainers licence and a journey.

The party has a theme, unlike most others; the 1920s. Jazz surrounds me as I meander through the crowd, looking for someone- anyone, really- that I knew. Everyone is dressed up in suits and flapper dresses, feathers sticking out of their heads and fedoras covering faces, making anyone seem anonymous. My eyes rested on a dear friend of mine, sitting alone with what looked to be a martini glass.

I squinted. It was just water.

But, the friend. He wore a white shirt, blue pants and suspenders- a unique look, but the 1920s was a unique time in Hoenn. Jasper recognized me instantly, and upon notice me looking, waved me over.

There was no doubt about it- my friend was physically attractive, just like any other guy at the school. Mentally attractive, too- he was a genius when it came to things. I once caught a girl writing an erotic fanfiction about him. It was kinda creepy.

I didn't want him, if you know what I mean. I was friends with him, and both of us were cool with that. He was a pretty caring guy, too, unlike the snobs from the school. Jasper grinned as I stood next to him, trying to shield my body from the people around me.

"Worst party ever, am I right?" He asked, taking a sip of his water.

I nodded in reply. "I've been hit on three times."

"Same. One girl said to me, _I love the whole blond-hair, blue eyes thing._" He exclaimed, grinning widely. It was a major trait of Jasper- a big grin, he always had, unless it was a serious moment. "And you know what I said?"

"What?"

"_So did Hitler." _If we hadn't been surrounded by people we knew from school, who deemed us crazy enough, I would have been laughing hysterically. But I was quiet; just a light giggle escaped.

"Speaking of which, where's your girlfriend?" I asked. Jasper shrugged, taking another scan of the crowd. His girlfriend was a girl, who looked similar enough to him they were mistaken as twins, named Jasmine. She had the long blonde hair, way past her shoulders and a safe length, but she chopped it all off for tonight. It was now a bob, just like mine. Pearly white skin, bright blue eyes...Jasmine was the perfect girl, in everyone's eyes.

She was just a little...Childish, I could say. She was raised in a sheltered house for her life until the Academy, and carried with her childlike qualities I hadn't seen since Kindergarden. Nonetheless, Jasmine was the sweetest girl ever.

Jasmine had been the one who originally persuaded us to come to the party. I wouldn't be in this flashy dress if it weren't for her- _It's the last party you'll be able to go to, Nadia! _She whined. _Just one party! Just one dress! Can you do it for me? _

That girl could make the most convincing puppy-dog eyes, I tell you.

I spotted her in the other corner of the room, surrounded by a gang of three guys. Three guys I loathed. They were the "special" kids who got a started from the Professor in Littleroot- it was a lottery, and anyone could have won. The rest of the rich kids got uber-rare Pokemon and a bunch of money on their cards to start off.

Me? I've got about 5 yen on my card, and a Pokemon my mom hasn't given me yet. Ever since trainers got mugged by Team Magma members, our savings have been changed to digital things on our card. And my Pokemon, Mom says, will be for when I start. Which is the next day.

I still had our family Pokemon on me, as I always do- a Whismur named "Sparky". Mom was a bodybuilder, and a trainer at Petalburg City Gym. She was best friends with Norman when he was younger, and reuniting with him after so many years was nice for her.

Tyrone Millers, Roberto Water, and Tom Yang all hung around Jasmine. She was dramatically shorter than the rest of them (and us, for that matter- last time I heard she was barely five-two) and was cowering in fear, though her face showed the best signs of bravery it could.

Tyrone was a tall guy, with slicked-back black hair. He had beady brown eyes that could stare into your soul and dig out parts of it you didn't even know about. He's from a prestigious family in Rustboro, rich only for their investment in Devon Corporation stocks. Roberto is the same case as Tyrone- tall, brown hair brown eyes, with a rather muscular build, and rich family. Tom Yang was a smaller boy with dark hair and almond-shaped brown eyes, glasses only there to look cool. But he was smart- he was the other scholarship winner.

I heard Jasper growl like a prehistoric caveman as he practically stomped over to the four. I followed, slightly more timid than him. _Man touch mate! Man must fight! _

Tyrone turned on his heel when he saw us. He wasn't nearly as tall as Jasper, or Roberto for the manner, but he held himself in such a defiant tone, his eyes narrowed. At first, I thought it was about to break out in a fist fight- and was ready to intervene at any moment, a mother as a bodybuilder coming in handy- but it was a stare-off.

Both boys held Pokeballs by their side. I thought for a moment that it would be a battle. Granted, the levels are as low as the law- one to five, if you were curious- but it would be crazy nonetheless. Tyrone, however, stood aside, and let Jasper through. I knew the reason- if Jasper even got a little scrape on him, all his fangirls would be on Tyrone like mad cannibals.

Jasmine, her normal blue-eyes a teary red, glared furiously at the group of boys before hugging her boyfriend. Personally, I never minded the PDA, but if they started to French-kiss in front of me I would _definitely _do something.

Which usually resorted to having Sparky use uproar to get them out of their heated romance.

"Thanks, guys." She said, her voice quieter than normal. "Wanna head home now?"

Jasper grinned, an affectionate arm around her. I stood next to her, and she clamped my hand. We weren't a threesome (someone asked once), just Jasmine was more affectionate than normal friends. The rest of them at the Academy were so fake; it was a rare friendship indeed. He kissed the top of her head, before whispering, "I'd thought you never would ask."

I squeezed Jasmine's hand, and she smiled at me. It was a broken, tattered smile, but it was a smile at least. And smiles can be the best things in the world.


	2. Drama Much?

Jasmine had always been a precious child. She smelled like hope and smiled like springtime and walked upon this world like ripples upon a stagnate lake. That's what I thought of her, anyway. A pure embodiment of innocence, I say.

That innocence was nearly ripped that night. I slept over at her house, much to my mother's dismay. She doesn't appreciate the "good" the rich people "do" for society, but Jasmine and I had been friends since the Academy began, when were were nearly nine.

I dragged myself into my house, early in the morning, hoping Mom wouldn't be awake at six. It was Saturday, it was her day off. She ought to have common sense. But as I flicked on the light to our house, I found her in the kitchen, her arms crossed. Her eyebrows were pressed firmly into her face, and her lips were pursed into a straight line.

"Hey, Mom." I greeted.

"Hi, honey." She said calmly, before turning stern again. "Where were you last night? After the party?"

"Didn't you get my text?" I asked.

"I did, but that's not the point." She sighed. "I'm worried about you, okay? I don't want you to turn out like your fath-"

She paused, noticing my glare. My father was always a touchy subject around me. We were close, alright? And of the odds, of me of all the people who could have, finding his brainless body laying on the ground wasn't right. It might have been destined, but it shouldn't have happened when I was eight and didn't understand the whole concept of death.

"-er." she dared to say, and continued. I let her. "You know how distraught he got after losing his battles. I'm worried it'll happen to you, Nadia, and I don't want to lose you."

I hugged her. It was a simple hug- I was a few inches taller than her, and my arms could wrap around her smaller body. I dunno where the height was from, and I assumed that it was just my dad. "I'll be careful, Mom." I told her. "I promise, okay? And when I'm done doing whatever around the region, I'll return home safe." I released our hug, and looked into her now tear-stained eyes. "I _promise._"

Mom nodded, clearing her throat loudly. She left the room, heading our creaky stairs, leaving me alone to think. I loved her, really, even if she can be a worrywart sometimes. I guess it was always good to worry, and she never became too overprotective of me. I sat on our old, musty couch, and turned the television on. Nothing new was on, and I moaned, rubbing the butts of my palms into my tired eyes.

Mom returned a couple hours later, holding a box in her hands. It was wrapped- rather neatly- with old newspaper, and a bow sat on top. She set it right next to me, unaware that I had dozed off.

"Nadia?"

I bolted out of my dreamless state. "Hmm?"

"Here- it's your Pokemon, for your journey." Mom smiled. "Your father and I had begun saving up to catch it since you were five. It was a hard time, but I managed to complete the job.

I ripped the wrapping paper off the box, and opened it. Inside was- you guessed it- a Pokeball. There was an ineffable emotion swelling up inside of me, and I feared that more of it would make me blow. Shaking hands lifted the Pokeball carefully from the box. This was it. I was a trainer. I had a Pokemon.

I pressed the small button on the spherical capsule, watching it expand and open. A white light burst out, and it formed in front of me. The shape was uncommon for a starter- many "normal" kids either get a Pokemon from their parents, or catch their own in the routes around here. It wasn't any of the normal Pokemon you would start with if you were born in Petalburg, simply put.

I didn't recognize the Pokemon at first. It was smaller than normal, and a tangle of white fur slid over midnight blue skin. A large horn came out from its head, and it smiled at me, red eyes blinking widely.

It finally clicked in my brain- what was standing before me was the disaster Pokemon, Absol itself. A shiver trailed down my back, but this Absol was smaller, and didn't seem that dangerous. I glanced to Mom. "You managed to get an Absol?"

Mom nodded. "I'm friends with a daycare worker in a faraway region. He said that if I could get enough money to pay for the shipping, I could get an egg, or better yet, a newly hatched Pokemon, flown over here. They do it all the time for trainers who don't want eggs. And I just managed to get a rare one, somehow." Mom shrugged, suddenly back to her normal self.

She sat on the couch. "Norman gave me the day off to say goodbye to you, so…" She paused. "Goodbye, Nadia. Don't kill yourself." And that was it.

Absol bounded up to me, with new energy, and it cried out in joy. Rather enthusiastic, for a Pokemon known to be a harbinger of chaos, but nobody's perfect. I led it out of the house, before shutting the door behind me, crying out a last farewell to my mother.

The sun was shining on a beautiful day, and Taillow fluttered through the air. Clouds dotted the bright blue sky, and a bright sun made the air more humid than usual. I hastily removed my jacket, showing off the white v-neck underneath, tying the windbreaker around my waist.

"We should head to Jasmine's house," I said aloud. Absol cocked its head curiously, wondering who 'Jasmine' was. "A friend. You'll like her."

Petalburg had grown over the past few years, but it was still an averagely small town, comparing it to Mauville or Rustboro. Mansions dotted the landscape on the route to Oldale, one of them was where Jasper lived. But Jasmine lived a bit farther away, on the other side, near the ocean.

Absol copied my pace, trying in an effort to keep up with me. It was rather small, but also rather adept. I told her some things about my friends; we were going to be traveling Jasmine and Jasper, at least to Mauville or Dewford (both of them were taking up the gym challenge, but I didn't know about myself yet). I told it how they were dating, and although a cute couple, I managed to infiltrate their private business sometimes.

It's the job of a third wheel, I tell you. Make it awkward for the couple.

Eventually, we found ourselves at the driveway to Jasmine's house. It was more of a chateau than a mansion, a warm-colored house with tall pillars leading to the sky like the rumored Sky Pillar.

Jasmine was waiting outside, with her own pokemon- a Ralts nicknamed Vector. She grinned when she spotted me, and her eyes widened when she saw Absol. "O-M-G!" She cried, grabbing her poor psychic/fairy type and rushing over instantly. "An Absol? No way!"

Absol had cowered behind my legs at the moment, and I felt its pain.

"You're so lucky to have such a pretty girl, Nadia!"

"Absol's a girl? How can you tell-"

Jasmine had already began making her way past us, and I looked at her with a kind of awe and confusion you could give only a Professor who explained to you astrophysics. Absol, shrugged, her red eyes unblinking, before I began to follow Jasmine.

"Jas said he'd meet us at the entrance to Petalburg." She said, sliding her expensive IPhone into her pocket. Me? I barely got a touchscreen for my fifteenth birthday. Jasmine turned on her heel suddenly, the Ralts in her hands squeezed like a ragdoll. Vector didn't seem to mind it, though. "Can you believe we're actually starting our journey?"

I shrugged, mute. It was pretty unbelievable, and a sort of nervousness and excitement seemed to contradict in my own mind. Jasmine continued talking. "I mean, I've been excited for this day since I was ten! Bummer they had to put that age restriction thing on us, but it's for our own safety, I guess."

"Yeah." My mind returned to the times when everyone was stressed. Team Magma and Aqua, referred to as the Magma/Aqua incident. Two evil teams were fighting it out, and current champion Brendan had been caught in the worst of it. I felt bad for him, mainly, because he had to deal with a practical war when he was only eleven. Now nearly nineteen, Brendan hasn't had a trainer beat him in years.

We ended up at the entrance to the forest rather fast, and just as he promised, Jasper was waiting for us. My mind paused for a minute, my mouth open a bit. I glanced from Jasmine to Jasper. "You guys are really matching?"

They both had a white-blue combo, but instead Jasmine wore a dress. The couple interlocked arms, before Jasper sent a threatening, but loving at the same time, glare to Jasmine. "It was her idea."

Jasmine giggled. "And _you _went along with it."

I rolled my eyes at the couple; they could be cute. There was no denying it. Absol looked at me with a befuddled expression as the couple pranced ahead of us, and into the forest. "You'll understand when you're older," I explained to her, before realizing they had disappeared into the woods. "Jasmine? Jasper?"

I groaned, and with a dark-type by my side, entered the dangers of the forest.


	3. I Hate Nature

A winding path, dense shrubbery, and non stop attacks from bug-types and their trainers were the only problems in my way. Excuse me for being a little melodramatic before. Since my kind of people weren't given at least an older model of a Pokedex, I had to result to learning Absol's move by trial and error.

I held out a moleskine, jotting down the moves she knew quickly throughout the battle. I was never good at memorizing things like Pokemon moves, so a small little notebook was a big advantage to me.

"Scratch!" I called, and her claws glowed with a faint white energy before slashing the Wurmple across the face. That was the last one out of six- this trainer would have his hands full when they all evolved.

I knew that the transaction of my winning money was done, and I waved to the trainer, who picked up their own butterfree net and returned the wave. Granted, I was annoyed by the plethora of bugs in this damn forest, but I had some decency to act like a normal human being.

Absol walked up cheerily behind me. For a dark-type, she had an a weird sunny disposition, and i sprayed her with one of my last Potions I had found. I came to a stop, finding a fork in the road...Err, foliage, could be more correct. The dirt path I had been following seemed to end, and left me off on a cliffhanger on where I should go.

"Now what?" I wondered, sliding my moleskine back into my bag's pocket. My Pokemon responded by sitting at the edge of the dirt trail, before curling into a tired ball. "Gee, that's helpful."

She grunted back at me, as if saying, _what do you expect me to do? _There were no other Pokemon on my team, or even a kind wild Pokemon to lead me out. I cursed at my own thoughts- the latter only happened in movies. Happy movies, with no depiction of real life whatsoever.

I sighed. Jasmine and Jasper, through cooperative teamwork, had gotten through the forest already, waiting patiently for me at Rustboro. Maybe they were catching up with old friends, or having alone time together. A simple thought of what could happen when two hormonal teenagers in love, while they were alone, nearly made me giggle.

Perverse thoughts have passed a certain mark to where the world "perverse" is an understatement. Trust me.

I ended up leaning against a tree, Absol curled by my side, in a certain bliss you couldn't get in the city. No loud cars (albeit there were few to start with), no tall buildings, no rich people. No rich, snobby people- Jasmine and Jas seemed to be the only exception, as far as I knew. Some of the rich kids at school _were _pretty nice, but they just avoided me generally. Or was it the other way around?

After about ten minutes of tranquility, I stood up, aggravated. I wanted out of the damn forest. Absol, startled by my sudden movements, sat up, yawning and stretching. I looked to the dark-type, determination set in my eyes. "We're going to get out of this damn forest if it kills us."

She nodded happily, willing to do anything. I remembered when I was that trustful, but everything seemed to change in seconds. Pushing negative thoughts out of my head for the time being, I focused on the problem ahead of us- the splitting road. I took a hesitant step down one path, one with thick trees and branches hanging low enough to catch you across the face, but a second later pivoted on my heel and headed down the other path, praying I made the right choice.

Bug-types seemed to attack me more often, but Absol was strong enough to swat them away. And bug-types were generally weaker than the trainers we fought, and the aforementioned trainers weren't as tricky as presumed.

I moaned through the sticky humid heat that seemed to plague our nation. I never liked the heat in Hoenn; Mom once took me to Mt. Chimney. _Never again. _Absol was panting, also, and it seemed like she wasn't used to this heat.

"Hot, Absol?" She understood me, and nodded. I pulled out a water bottle from my bag, and pouring a bit of the sacred liquid into my palm, stretched it out to her. Her tongue was coarse as it liked my bare skin, but she drank up half of the water in my bottle before I capped it again. I smiled at her. "Better?"

Still panting, she nodded. I thought it was amazing how Pokemon could just understand us sometimes, and sometimes on a deeper, emotional level. Don't mind my random philosophical ravings sometimes.

We wandered through the thick for a while more- I never had a watch, so I couldn't check the time. My phone was out of question as it was on its last battery. A sudden, shrill voice filled the air, and I knew it could only come from one person.

Jasmine.

It didn't sound like one of her "help-me-i'm-in-danger" screams, at least. It had a happy tone, and the next thing I know, I was being squashed by a white-and-blue blob, with dirt stains covering heavy white combat boots.

"JASMINE!" I shrieked, trying to push the girl off me. She sat up, in a daze, wondering what just happened. I was, also. Why did she randomly drop on me like that.

"Nadia?" She chirped in shock. "I didn't see you there!"

I bit my tongue to hold back a snide remark. "What a coincidence. I didn't happen to see you land on me," is what I really wanted to say. Instead, it came out as, "Ow." She helped me up instantly, but I still glared.

"I'm sorry!" She whined, before turning to Jasper, who was walking through the thicker woods. "Jas, I found her!"

Jasper looked like he had walked through hell and back- his white pants were stained with dirt. I rolled my eyes, suppressing a grin. Only Jasmine was able to make Jasper walk through the woods like that. His Ralts, Zytha, walked close and next to him, trying to copy his movements.

"Now that we're all reunited, we can get out of this forest!" Jasmine cheered, her fists in the air. Her arms locked around my neck and Jasper's neck, as if we had no other choice. Absol whined in confusion of the weird girl. I couldn't agree more. "C'mon, the exit is this way!" She ran ahead of us.

I glanced to Jasper, who kept his mouth pursed in a line. "Annoyed?"

"I love that girl," he began, sighing. "But damn she can be a little aggravating." He began to jog again, attempting to catch up with his girlfriend. Jasper was the most athletic of all of us, but Jasmine beat him in energy by a mile. Or however that saying goes.

The exit was, in fact, easy to find. I was amazed that I had managed to get through the forest in one day. Lets say, my family has a history of terrible navigators. Dad told me stories of when he was younger and he got lost in the desert on Route 111. A tinge of heartbreak overcame me, reminiscing of my father always brought it.

Absol nudged my hand, and we began following the squeals of Jasmine and the worried exclamations of Jasper.

I glanced down to Absol before we stepped out of the forest. "They're crazy, if you hadn't noticed."

She rolled her eyes in response.


	4. Badger Badger Badger Shroomish

So, I decided to challenge the gym the day after that. It's a sort of ritual for Academy graduates. If you're in Rustboro, you take on Roxanne. Simple as that. Jasmine and Jasper were scheduled for the battle later today, but for me…

"What do you mean, I need two Pokemon to battle?" I practically used the move Screech on Roxanne.

She blinked, wiping a little bit of saliva off her face, before regaining a calm posture. "League rules state you need two pokemon in order to challenge my gym. I'm sorry, Narissa-"

"Nadia."

"If you catch another Pokemon and manage to train it," Roxanne continued, ignoring my correction. "You can schedule for tomorrow. Now, if you excuse me, I have a battle to go to."

Crossing my arms, I practically stomped out of the building. _Stupid league rules. Stupid Pokemon League. Stupid gym leaders. _I was fuming with an anger that could rival a Groudon's internal temperature. Absol, who was waiting outside for me, cocked her head in confusion to why I was so mad.

I took a deep breath. "We have to catch a friend, Absol."

She grinned, letting out a bark. _Friend! _She practically cried, excited.

I was only a few feet from the Gym when I was run into by a fuming Jasper, who looked like he had just battled Roxanne...His clothes weren't in the best condition, the blue shirt was torn and his white pants were covered in dirt, Jasmine would get so mad, and his eyebrows were forced in an angry position.

"What happened to you?"

"Word of advice; never accept a challenge from Jasmine."

_Oh. She's the one who caused it. _"Wasn't planning, really." I replied. "I gotta go catch another Pokemon to challenge this stupid gym, so...Toodles."

I started back in Petalburg Forest, but didn't stray too far from the exit. It would be a pain in my ass if I got lost again, and this time I had no backup. Absol sniffed the grass happily alongside me, and I nearly lost myself in the nature. Well, not really.

Ugh. I hated the heat.

I wiped sweat that was already dripping from my brow. I knew I didn't want a bug-type (after the day before, all I could think was, _to hell with them_), so that only left me with one option. Shroomish.

Shroomishes are Pokemon you don't want to mess with sometimes. With an ability like Effect Spore, you can get poisoned or paralyzed by just a simple Tackle. But they were amazing battlers, and even stronger when they become Breloom, at level twenty-three.

The only reason I know all of that is due to a stupid project we had to do in our Environment Class. Pick a random grass-type Pokemon and write an essay on it. I was one of the top experts on Shroomish now, you could say. _Another accomplishment for me._

Absol yipped, rearing up. Something was coming, she was telling me. I tensed, too, and glanced around the forest. The trees obscured any good view, so all I had to do was pray, and hope that nothing would attack me.

I was wrong. The next thing I knew, a pack of Zigzagoon was pursuing Absol and I. We swerved left quickly, nearly running into a tree. Not a good way to start the day. We bolted as soon as the normal-type Pokemon came barreling down the dirt path. There were yelps- human, I noted- from passerby trainers as they were nearly trampled by the stampede.

_In the back, _My mind clicked. There was a small Pokemon, with a beige body and green spots, shaped much like a mushroom, chasing the Zigzagoon. It had a large amount of bravery hovering over it, a massive leader aurora not even the champion could compare to.

And, in that moment, I decided I wanted that Pokemon. That Shroomish.

If only I could catch up with it now.

I leapt out of the brush, deciding it was best to chase the Shroomish. Other trainers seemed iffy on the Pokemon; It was just a grass-type. It shouldn't matter to the abundant bug catchers in the forest.

It was fair game.

The Shroomish was a fast little demon, let me tell you. The moment it noticed something was chasing it, it turned, swiveling on the small stubs people call feet. The Shroomish released a cloud of yellow spores, and I skid to a stop. "Absol, look out!"

She noticed them, too, and dove out of the way to avoid being paralyzed. "Scratch!" I called. Absol's claws glowed with a faint white light again, and she scratched the Mushroom Pokemon across its face. In retaliation, the Shroomish tackled Absol, sending her flying a few feet back.

"Again, scratch!" Absol scraped the grass-type's face again, and cut deeper than normal. A critical hit? I wondered, bringing out the only Pokeball I had extra. Jasmine had got it for me the previous night, when the three of us had managed to get to the Pokemon Center in one piece.

The Academy didn't give out packs to the scholarship students. Which means, we had to order one off the internet. Even though my mom works at the Petalburg gym, she couldn't afford even a simple one.

I threw the Pokeball as best as I could. My aim was okay, and it managed to land directly on the Shroomish's head. A red light enveloped the pokemon, and it collapsed into the Pokeball. Absol took a deep breath, trying to desperately catch her breath.

The Pokeball shook once. Twice. Thrice. Then, a ping echoed through the forest.

I looked over to Absol, grinning. "We just caught a Pokemon!" Ignoring the urge to strike a pose with the Pokeball in my hand, like they do in the cheesy cartoons and anime, I slid it into my pocket. "Let's get out of this forest."

It only took a couple minutes to find myself outside of the woods; glad I hadn't gone as far in as I thought I was. I was back at the Pokemon center before I knew it, healing up my pokemon. Absol practically jumped back out of her Pokeball as the nurse handed them back.

I thanked her and left the building, sitting on a bench not far from it. The sun was slowly descending into twilight, but I didn't want that to stop me from meeting my new partner. Throwing the other Pokemon up in the air, Shroomish landed on the bench next to me and looked at me with wide, dark eyes.

Then, it did something weird. It bowed.

"What are you doing?"

It grunted a few times, and i wish I could've understood Pokemon language. Older trainers say that you'll be able to understand them more clearly as time goes on, and you bond with them, but it took months, even years, to learn.

I bit my lip, unsure of what to say. It was like talking to a three-year-old, unable to understand their baby talk. "Okay?"

Absol snickered, and I glared at her before turning back to Shroomish. "I'm Nadia, and that's Absol. We're a team now, all of us. Does that sound good, Shroomish?" Shroomish grunted again, plopping down on the bench. After a moment, it nodded.

I grinned. "Great! Tomorrow we'll start training for a gym battle."

Now that I had two official pokemon, I was almost able to challenge Roxanne.

* * *

Later that night, Jasmine told me that Shroomish was a male. And, she volunteered to help train me for the gym battle, since she seemed to have won the previous day. Ignoring Jasper's advice about challenging her to a battle, I accepted the offer.

Worst. Idea. Ever.

It began with a loud trumpet blaring in my ear at seven in the morning. I liked having no more school, since I was able to sleep in more, but this was ridiculous. "WHAT THE HELL?" I practically yelled, glaring at Jasmine, dressed in a blue-and-white track suit.

"Doesn't everyone in Hoenn like trumpets, though?" She ignored my protest, looking at the golden instrument in wonder. She shrugged. "Oh well. I'll get it back to that trainer later."

"It's seven in the morning, Jasmine. Just why?"

"You wanted me to help you train, and I'm helping you train. I'm expecting you downstairs in five minutes or I'll send Vector after you." She said, before turning out and leaving my room. For a fleeting moment, I wondered how she got in here, but then again, she had a psychic type.

Then, it hit me that she was waiting. And being late was one of the things Jasmine hated the most. I threw on clothes from the previous day, not washed but all I had, before bolting down to where she waited.

Absol bounded past me, wagging her tail in the excitement of the morning. She wasn't that normal, if you couldn't tell. Jasmine grinned when she saw her, and gently pet her head as I caught up.

Jasmine led us to a route near the Rusturf Tunnel. There was the usual amount of bug-types (blargh) and even a couple of normal-types. My friend released her other pokemon, which turned out to be a little Seedot, nicknamed Janice.

"Send your your Pokemon, Nadia." She commanded, and out of a sudden fear, I sent Shroomish out of his Pokeball. Out came a device I didn't recognize from her pocket, and she scanned the two before me. "Amazing, your Pokemon are already at high enough levels to challenge the gym. A little more training couldn't hurt."

I looked over her shoulder at the device, curious. It listed all of Shroomish's moves, and even his levels of power. "What is that?" I asked.

"You've never seen a Pokedex before?"

"I have, but not one like this."

"It's only the newest model." She shrugged, sliding it back into her pocket. "Okay, Nadia, let's train. Two-on-two?"

Absol nodded with a determination I hadn't ever seen, and Shroomish shrugged, as if he was saying, _why not? _As if Jasper's warning had not even happened, I said, "Sure. You're on."

And thus, my first rival battle began.


	5. Time To Fight (updated)

"I'm starting off with you, Vector!" Jasmine said, her Ralts running to her side, invigorated by the early morning light.

"Absol, I'm trusting you." I grinned, and Absol leapt onto the field before me. Jasmine's smile faltered, however, when she realized that I had the advantage. Shrugging it off, she crossed her arms, a devious idea forming in her mind.

"Double Team, Vector!" Jasmine said, and multiple copies of her Ralts appeared on the battlefield. "Tackle her!"

Not wondering or curious to how a Ralts could know Tackle (Jasmine logic, man), I cried out, "Absol, look out!" Absol managed to jump out of the way of each copy of Ralts, who were heading in her direction. "Now, use Scratch!" Absol scratched a Ralts, but it happened to be the wrong one.

Oops.

"Vector, Tackle again!" Jasmine shouted, and the Ralts hit my Pokemon head-on. I winced as she landed with a harsh thud on the ground, but it slowly turned into a grin when the dark-type stood up again.

"Sucker Punch, Absol!" Egg moves can be the coolest thing ever. I had only figured it out when Jasmine pointed her Pokedex at it, the night before. Her form was a little sloppy, and I don't understand how exactly Absol could do it, but her paws lit up with a dark, anti-matter sort of energy before hitting Vector upside the head.

It wasn't as super-effective now, due to the fact that the Ralts evolution chain had somehow slightly mutated into a psychic/fairy-type, but it still hit pretty hard. Vector hit the ground, and Jasmine nearly cried out in pain with her Pokemon. "Hey, that's so not nice, Nadia!"

"It's a Pokemon battle, Jasmine." I responded. "Pokemon can get kinda gruesome sometimes. It's a fact of life that any creature can get gruesome like that." I shrugged it off, like it was no big deal. It wasn't, really.

Jasmine bit her lip, before pulling a Pokeball out. Vector returned into it with a white light. "I'm not going to pressure you more, Vector." She whispered to the Pokeball, loud enough for me to hear, before pulling out another. "Okay, then, Lotus, come on out."

I knew it was a Lotad before she even pulled the Pokeball out. How did I know? A more of an intuition buried deep in my head, perhaps. Or maybe the fact that Lotads tend to look like lotus flowers. Or the fact that she's wanted one since second grade. Something along those lines.

I withdrew Absol before bringing out Shroomish. Not so much of an impetuous decision on my choice, but since Lotus was, according to Jasmine's extensive knowledge on Lotad, a "water-grass type", I'd thought for a little more of an advantage. Shroomish popped out of his pokeball with an unfamiliar zeal; I guess he was just excited to battle.

"Lotus, show 'em your Astonish!" Before Shroomish could move, Lotus had moved in and out quickly, hitting him in his side before returning respectfully at Jasmine's feet.

"Alright, then. Shroomish, use-" I couldn't call out a move before he used Stun Spore on the opposing Pokemon. "-Stun Spore. I guess."

"Lotus!" Jasmine cried again, and her hand reached for her Pokeball. The Lotad looked up at her with determined eyes, although he couldn't move as well and a terrible lethargy had poured over him, telling her not to give up. "Okay, Lotus. Nature Power, let's go!"

A ball of green energy formed in front of Lotus, but it faltered, before being flung at Shroomish. He took the attack head-on, but it didn't seem to affect him that much. "Shroomish, Ta-"

Again, before I could finish my command, Shroomish charged at Lotus, flinging him into the air. Jasmine was lucky enough to have caught the Water Weed Pokemon before it hit the ground. She looked at me, wide astonishment in her eyes. Returning Lotus, she held out her hand for me.

"You shouldn't need any training, Nadia. I think you'll beat the gym without her even noticing!" I grasped her hand tightly, feeling the dainty hand curl around mine. "Good luck, girl, and I'll meet you in Dewford!"

"Wait, what-" She was zipping through the trees before I could respond to anything she had said. Me? Win against Roxanne? It was unlikely, yes. Maybe a fifty-fifty percent chance at most. But what she had said was really sweet. I had to heed her advice; that I would be able to beat Roxanne now.

With a triumphant gleam in my eyes, I returned Shroomish, and with Absol by my side once again, began my nature-walk back to the city. And, may I mention it one more time- I hate nature. I hate bug-types.

* * *

Roxanne was rather surprised to find me back at her gym that day. Her eyebrows were pulled up in a sort of shock I hadn't seen on her, ever. We watched her old gym battles caught on tape, and the eighteen-year-old always seemed to have a cool complexion, especially for starting out as a gym leader when you're only twelve.

"Oh, so it's you again, Narissa." She curtly said, examining her tablet in her hands. She took the trainer card I held and swiped it before nodding. "You've got two Pokemon. I'm free right now; do you want to begin our battle?"

"Y-Yes!" I stuttered, shaking like Jell-o on top of a washing machine. It was my first gym battle, if not my only gym battle. I had no way to get to Dewford from here for now, unless a boat magically appeared for me.

Like that would happen. I'd just have to skip over the small, island community.

I followed Roxanne down what seemed to be an endless hall. I was amazed how long it was; an eternity in only a few seconds. We soon stood in a giant room, with stadium-like seats on both sides,. Rocks piled up on the battlefield, from previous battles and for future ones. There were some horribly replaced holes in the walls, but my mind hadn't had time to take in every miniscule detail before Roxanne pulled two Pokeballs out.

"You're a beginner, so my two lowest-level Pokemon you'll get." She stated. "Geodude, I choose you!"

A small rock, with two obnoxiously buff arms appeared as soon as the white light faded. He grunted (or, at least, I think it was a he. I need to get Jasmine to teach me how to read Pokemon), his fists clenched tightly.

Already expecting this, I pulled out my own Pokemon. I stared at the Pokeball in a sort-of admirable shock, before catapulting it into the air. "Absol, go!"

Absol was a little stronger than Shroomish, which was the only way we were able to beat him and capture him. Plus, since all rookies knew the Pokemon that Roxanne used, a rudimentary strategy had already formed in my mind on my way there. Use Absol for first Pokemon, a Geodude. Use Shroomish for second Pokemon, a Nosepass.

The rest of it? I winged it.

Roxanne was once again in a little bit of shock; even though she should have read what pokemon I had when I swiped my card, she had skimmed over what seemed to be rather important information. Shaking her head, to clear what thoughts she might have had, Roxanne said, "Alrighty then. Geodude, use Tackle!"

"Absol, jump up to dodge it!" This kind of strategy was already expected, and the rock threw himself into the air. Absol was barely hit on the shoulder, but she survived her topple to the ground. "Scratch!"

She slashed the rock-type across the face; not very effective, I remembered. "Rock Throw, Geodude!"

I winced as it was called, a sudden thought of my father's dreadful fear of rock-types resurfacing, and all the stories he told me about what had happened. A mountain in a faraway region, he was assaulted by Geodude...My mind nearly diverted from the entire battle. Absol, once again, barely managed to move out of the way.

"Defense Curl!" Geodude curled into a ball, and a faint blue orb surrounded him, before it faded. His defenses were up now. Dangit.

"Uh, Sucker-Scratch!" I hadn't meant for it to come out that way, but Absol somehow understood half of what I said.

Now, Pokemon can use more than one move at once. They're not like us humans, whose brain truly focuses on one thing at a time. Depending on their type and body, a Pokemon could efficiently multitask on more than two things. All at once. It was a fading memory of school, but in Battle Class we learned how to combine moves in certain situations. And the command came out too suddenly for me to comprehend.

Absol's claws glowed white before becoming a dark purple color, just like her Sucker Punch move, and she slashed Geodude across the face again. Due to Geodude's increased defenses, it didn't work as well as it could have, but damage was still efficiently done.

Roxanne grinned, her fists clenched tightly from across the battlefield."I haven't had this interesting of an opponent in years." She said, her voice rising in octaves to be heard over the fight.

I nodded.

"Rock Tomb, Geodude!"

"Absol, dodge it!" The oncoming rocks completely missed the white blur as she ran. "Now, Sucker Punch!" Absol hit the Geodude again, but this time with a regular Sucker Punch, sending him flying and knocking him out.

Roxanne grinned, bringing her Pokeball out to return the rock-type. "I never thought you would be such a formidable opponent, Narissa."

"It's Nadia."

"Whatever." Roxann brought out another Pokeball, and threw it into the air. "Are you ready for my Nosepass, however?"

Ignoring the gym leader for a brief moment, I looked to Absol. "Come back, girl. You've done enough today." She returned to my side, although weak, and I brought out Shroomish. He glared at me before glaring at his opponent in a sort-of way that could bring chills to your spine.

Shroomish was strong, and there was no denying that. And thus, the final battle began. He glared threateningly at the Nosepass before looking back to be with a look of disgust. After he grunted a few times, he resumed his position on the battle field.

I took it to him saying "are you seriously making me face this brainless rock?".

"You can make the first move, Nadia." What do you know- Roxanne actually remembered my name, for once. A bead of sweat nervously dripped down her forehead.

"Shroomish, use-"

He read my mind already, sending a seed that attached itself to the rock-type Pokemon. Absorb, I thought, watching as Nosepass was drained with energy. Roxanne didn't seem fazed, nor did her Pokemon.

"Nosepass, Rock Throw!" She called, and rocks were lifted by a mysterious power and surrounded Shroomish, as if a Rock Tomb attack were commencing, but they piled on top of him and he was buried in the rubble.

I bit my lip- he couldn't have gone out that fast! Hoping that the grass-type had survived, I watched in awe as he dug himself out of the rocks. Beaten, bruised, and a despondent aura hung around him, but the little Pokemon still stood as best as he could.

"Shroomish, go for another Absorb!" I managed to finish before he moved, and he, once again, sucked up energy from Nosepass. The rock-type looked genuinely weaker as Shroomish gained a little bit of its strength. "Quick, Stun Spore!"

"Nosepass, look out!" The dust of orange, paralyzing powder that came from Shroomish's head almost got the Pokemon- but it missed. Damn it.

Another silent moment for a second. I felt the effects of the battle taking me over; a depletion of strength, a sync with my Pokemon I wouldn't have been able to feel if I hadn't challenged her. I was panting, running from each corner to watch the battle that was occurring right in front of me. Not as tired as Shroomish;but tired for my own kind of body.

Roxanne held an exhausted look on her face, and her arms hung in a limp lethargy.

"Shroomish, use Absorb once more!" I called. "Let's take this bitch out!"

"Nosepass, use Rock Tomb to stop him"

Rocks began floating towards Shroomish again, but the grass-type had a plan formed already. Taking a giant leap, the little guy jumped from rock to rock, successfully landing on each one with a vigor that was unrivaled. One last blow- the winning blow, as I hoped- was sent toward Nosepass.

Nosepass collapsed, but was still conscious. But barely. The rocks that were floating, meant for Shroomish, collapsed, and the small but strong Pokemon landed on his feet like a Meowth. Roxanne brought out her Pokeball, returning Nosepass.

But we weren't done. I relaxed instantly, watching her meander around the uplifted rocks in the battlefield, and she grinned at Shroomish. She stood right in front of me, only a few inches taller, and dug a small ornament from her pocket.

"Congratulations, Nadia." She said to me. "You win. And, as the League states, I have to give you this badge as proof of your skill." I let the small metallic badge slip into my fingers. She dug another thing out of her pocket, a small disk. "And, I don't know if you can use this right now, but here's TM 39."

"Rock Tomb." I said, taking it with a 'thank you'. Our Battle Class had us memorize the first fifty TMs. Not fun, let me tell you.

A euphoric bliss, something I never felt before, overcame me. I was ecstatic. I had won my first- and only, perhaps- Gym badge. I slipped it into my pocket and allowed Shroomish to jump into my arms. He was tired, but there was a smug grin across his face.

Roxanne paused. "Your Shroomish doesn't have the ability "Effect Spore", does it?"

I shrugged. "I dunno, we couldn't exactly afford a Pokedex-" I began explaining, and Roxanne nearly gasped.

"You couldn't? Not even a first model?" She shook her head, clicking her tounge in a harsh, scolding way. "A beginning trainer needs one to help with their journey."

"I don't really care-"

She grabbed my wrist, and dragged me off the battlefield, and into a separate room to the side. It was an office, and her own office. "A talented trainer such as you shouldn't be without one." She opened a desk drawer, and dug out a red Pokedex. The screen reflected the fluorescent lights in the room as she handed it to me. "Think of it as a gift for giving me that amazing battle.

"I couldn't possibly-"

"I insist." She forced the device in my hand. "Now, good luck in getting to Dewford! I'll tell Brawly to expect you sometime soon!"

"But wait-" She had already pushed me out of her office. Well then, I thought, biting my lip again. But I felt the device in my hand, the badge in my pocket, and the Pokemon by my side, and I thought that everything could be normal. I was just another regular trainer, right?

_Right…_

* * *

**A/N: Yeah, I made this chapter longer. Battles such as this won'tbe that common, because the story isn't "im a misfit and collecting gym badges weee". No, it has**

**Trust me.**


	6. Dudes (And Dudettes) In Dewford

"Mr. Briney?" I prayed he remembered me as I walked into his old cabin the next day. he was a rather elderly man, and probably suffered some Alzheimer's, but I wasn't a doctor. His door was always open during the day, and he was open to always ferrying people across the ocean blue.

_Thunk._

I winced as the sound echoed through the house, and an overweight Pelipper trudged into the room. She instantly remembered me, and chirped happily. "Hey, Peeko. Where's Mr. Briney?"

"Ah, is that who I think it is?" The cracked voice of Mr. Briney flooded my ears. "Why, how long has it been, Nadia?"

I grinned. "Just a couple of weeks, Mr. Briney." I said, before I pulled out my badge from Rustboro. "I got my first badge."

He squinted at it, before pushing glasses on his face. "My, my, my, Nadia. You've got your old man's genes in you after all!"

I bit my tongue to hold back a comment about my dad, and kept it to myself. Technically, he was complimenting me in the first place, and it felt nice. He pulled out a piece of a motor and a rag, shining it. "What brings you to my humble and homely cottage, Nadia dear?"

I had spaced out for a moment prior to that, remembering how he and my dad were close. They had bene, after all, neighbors until Mr. Briney moved closer to his boat for easy access. By then, Dad had begun the gym challenge. They still remained close, and until one of Dad's pokemon learned Surf, Mr. Briney shipped him everywhere- from Dewford to Slateport and back again to Petalburg.

"Oh, uh, I was curious if you could give me a lift to Dewford." I explained my situation- the night before I got a call from Jasmine and Jasper, telling me that they were waiting in Dewford for me, their 'slowpoke friend'. They were going to challenge the gym after both of them caught another Pokemon- probably a water or fighting type, now that their SuperRodz had came in- and I was lagging behind. Again. "You wouldn't mind, would you?"

Mr. Briney laughed, chuckled and chortled. It was a happy laugh, and I felt compelled to laugh with him. But if I did, it would have been a terribly awkward situation. "Of course, dear!" His mouth broke into the widest grin I'd ever seen in an old man like him. "Ever since them cruises opened up at the port down there-" he pointed outside of his house, where only a mile down the beach a port with the best boats to get to Dewford and the other side of Hoenn were docked. "- my business has been kinda slack."

I shrugged. "You're more humble than those big-name ships anyway. I'd chose you in a heartbeat."

"Thanks, Nadia." He said, with a very greatful tone in his voice. The man was known to be quite a jokester, but this time it was a sincere one. "Peeko, we're going sailing again!"

I grinned, following him to the boat.

* * *

Jasmine and Jasper were waiting for me at the docks, their hands entangled and everything matching- even their smiles. A metal band stood out the most, and it was locked around the free wrists. I never saw anything like it, thus it piqued my curiosity.

"Glad you made it, Nadia!" Jasper said. "Jasmine and I were just about to go training, but we got your call-"

"-Gosh, Nadia, you're _so _slow!" Jasmine giggled. "We've been here a day already, right, Jas?"

I couldn't help but let a smug grin come across my face. "Really? How was it? Do anything..._interesting?_" Jasper's face turned a deep red upon realizing what I meant, but Jasmine was left in the dark for a little bit.

Then it hit her. "NADIA!"

"Well, it was a simple question. Did you have sex-"

A hard hand hit me upside the head, and I decided it was best to keep my mouth shut. Rubbing the sore spot, I ignored the urge to glare at Jasmine. Instead, I turned to Jasper. "You guys getting ready for Brawley?"

Brawley was the gym leader of Dewford, if you didn't remember. In fact, many people forgot about Dewford because of how small and isolated it seems. It was smaller than Littleroot, on an island in the middle of the ocean. It doesn't even have a proper PokeMart, just a shack that gets occasional orders and is stocked up on Pokeballs.

"PLEASE. Do you think we need to get ready for this battle?" Jasmine laughed. "We have the upper hand here, remember. Psychic vs. Fighting won't end in his luck."

_Right, _I thought, biting my lip. I wouldn't have the best of it here due to my obvious disadvantage. And what was the use of getting a badge here? I won't be challenging the league. It doesn't suit me, like it didn't suit my father.

"What about you, Nadia?" Jasper spoke up again.

"I probably won't be doing any more Gyms." I replied, crossing my arms. "It doesn't suit me, really. Getting Roxanne's badge was just something everyone does." Although I remembered, for a split second, that Roxanne had called him, and that I would probably challenge him eventually. But I didn't need all the badges to become the rad Pokemon trainer I wanted to be.

Since Brendan became Champion all those years ago, he made the whole system of "you must have x number of badges to do this" disappear completely. It was annoying and restricting to some trainers, and since the fifteen-year-olds who were to graduate from the Academy after they set those rules in would be- hopefully- smarter than trainers had been, it would be the most rational decision.

If I had a Pokemon, like a Swellow, who could fly, I wouldn't need the HM to fly. It was something that made no sense- you restrict Pokemon from doing what they're naturally born to do.

Now that I was thinking back, Brendan was a pretty smart trainer himself. He was only eleven when the league listened to him, and let me tell you, that kid had some ideas. It was his idea- though, his first few years he was assisted by the former champion Steven Stone- to change the currency into mainly digital yen.

"Nadia? Are you still in there?"

"Hmm?" I blinked. How much time passed when I was thinking of the Champion?

"You looked like a Shedinja for a second there. I was a little creeped out." Jas explained, his hands free of his ball of fluff and excitement we called Jasmine.

"Where'd Jasmine go?"

"I don't really know. I mentioned Brawley again, and she ran off in that direction-" Due to the size of the island, it was very easy to see where he was pointing. His finger was angled directly at the Pokemon Gym. "-yelling, at the top of her lungs, "YOLO!""

That's Jasmine for you.

"I should probably go after her before she kills herself, or her Pokemon." I don't know what cartoon about friendship and whatnot you've been watching, but Pokemon can actually _die _in battles. However, it's extremely rare and only happens if the foe is overpowered or you're too much of an idiot to realize what you're doing. I think that factor was another reason to why you had to graduate the Academy to be able to become a trainer.

I nodded. "I'll get a room at the Motel."

Pokemon Centers were free to use for trainers, and even had their own rooms to accommodate the trainers, like I mentioned before. But there was that homey feeling you get by staying at a Motel sometimes. Dad told me a lot of stories about the Motels he'd stay at on his journeys. The one in Dewford, he said, has the _best _pancakes.

I had to hope that even after a few years, they'd still have great pancakes.


End file.
